David Hughes is the Daily Telegraph's chief leader writer. He has been covering British politics for 30 years.

Alastair Campbell suffers selective amnesia

Alastair Campell has issued a statement following this morning’s settlement of his phone hacking case with News International. In it he raised doubts about whether the Government would be willing to impose new media regulation if recommended by the Leveson Inquiry, saying: “There are already signs that the Tory ministers in particular are not keen on going along with major reform of the regulatory system if that is what the Inquiry recommends. They prefer the remarkable level of media support they currently enjoy to acting in the national interest to improve the level of debate, and the standards of the media.” That phrase – “the remarkable level of media support they currently enjoy” – is one to savour. At the 2001 general election, when Tony Blair was in his pomp, Labour enjoyed the explicit support of every newspaper in Fleet Street, bar The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulation, the combined sale of the pro-Labour newspapers in 2001 was 9 million; the combined circulation of the pro-Tory newspapers was 3.3 million. I can’t recall Campbell complaining.